Nooky Gossip 45! Topcoats! General Finishes! Zibra Brushes! New Look Website!
Talking Topcoats!
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We stock (and use!) General Finishes Enduro-Var, Flat Out Flat and High Performance Topcoats at Shabby Nook. They are all excellent products that provide amazing durability and protection to your pieces. But which topcoat should you use? We have collated some of the main points about each product to help you decide!
Enduro-Var is a water-based topcoat that will amber over time. It should only be used over water stains, dye stains, and raw wood (use it on other mediums at your own risk!) It is water resistant and available in flat, satin and gloss sheens. The end result looks more like a beautiful oil varnish finish rather than a water coating.
Flat Out Flat gives a dead flat matte clear finish that is suitable for low to medium use areas. It is a water-based topcoat which has the look and feel of wax but the durability of a topcoat. The matting agents mean it is prone to showing fingerprints and can appear cloudy over dark colours. If you’ve applied Flat Out Flat and are not happy with the look, you can sand it back very lightly and re-coat with a higher sheen finish.
High Performance Topcoat is perfect for high use areas and pieces that need extra protection. It comes in flat, satin, semi-gloss and gloss finish and it dries clear. Protection and durability increases as the sheen increases, but all finishes are very durable and come highly recommended by Shabby Nook. You can also mix the different High Performance Topcoats to adjust to the level of sheen you are looking for.
All these topcoats can be brushed, rolled or sprayed on - if you need to you can thin them slightly by adding 5-10% distilled water. Foam brushes tend to produce a smoother finish which can be particularly helpful on flat horizontal surfaces. Pad Applicators or microfibre paint rollers are also helpful on larger horizontal surfaces such as a tabletop.
Winner of Fine Woodworking's "Best Overall Choice Award," High Performance Topcoat was voted as the hardest, most durable consumer polyurethane topcoat! And it is back in stock in all finishes - flat, satin, semi-gloss and gloss! Hardy enough to topcoat floors we love this stuff!
Restock!
Winner of Fine Woodworking's "Best Overall Choice Award," High Performance Topcoat was voted as the hardest, most durable consumer polyurethane topcoat! And it is back in stock in all finishes - flat, satin, semi-gloss and gloss! Hardy enough to topcoat floors we love this stuff!
Restock!
Orange Oil is General Finishes most popular and natural furniture care product. It can be used on any cured finish and does a fab job of removing everyday dirt and dust. It's perfect for routine furniture maintenance, antique restoration and as a lubricant when buffing topcoats.
Restock!
GEN Poly Brushes are high quality foam brushes that smooth out the paint and provide great coverage with fewer strokes, eliminating brush marks or loose bristles. We love to use them with stains, topcoats and Fusion Ultragrip! Available in 1, 2, 3 and 4 inch sizes and a mixed multipack!
Restock!
General Finishes Paint Strainers are now back in stock! Re-opening an old tin of paint or removing a skin can often leave small flakes of dry paint, debris and even rust in what would otherwise be usable paint - just strain the paint through these strainers and you have smooth paint again!
In the Spotlight this week is Paul Estall with this incredible Ikea makeover! Paul transformed this plain, dull Ikea cabinet to a stunning, one of a kind drinks cabinet! He painted it with Damask by Fusion Mineral Paint and added curved mouldings to the left door. The right door was removed and in its place the same curved mouldings were used in a “hit and miss” fashion to create a display area and give it a contemporary look and feel. He added some legs to raise it off the ground and added a touch of bling with metallic leaf finishes to the back and the legs! Finally he coated the piece with General Finishes High Performance Topcoat in Satin! Paul is a fan of General Finishes - he says 'It’s incredibly durable and gives me the confidence and peace of mind that my pieces will withstand daily use when in their new homes! I used to always fret when applying other topcoats but this stuff goes on so well with my Staalmeester Rollers.' Paul is one of our new Shabby Nook Associates - we have partnered together to showcase the wonderful world of upcycling - welcome to the Shabby Nook Family, Paul!
Paul's amazing transformation really goes to show you don’t have to stick to the classics when it comes to upcycling furniture – with some creative thinking even the ugliest or plainest modern pieces can be made just perfect for your space! For more paint inspo join our private Facebook Group today and see what our members are up to!
Win a Zibra Brush!
Don't forget to enter our Instagram giveaway! The lucky winner will be able to pick between a Zibra Palm Pro Paintbrush or Zibra Round Paintbrush as their prize! The competition closes on Friday 21st May - go to Instagram and follow the instructions to be in with a chance to win!
Website Revamp!
Our new website launches next week! As with all things techy there are may be some teething problems so if you notice something a bit squiffy we would really appreciate it if you could let us know! There's only so much testing one can do before the eyes start to see double!
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I would LOVE to hear what other paint related tips, tricks and treats you would like to know about!
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1 comment
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Can you use that top coat ( the winning one) over paper, any paint etc? Does it dry clear or leave a cloudy finish? I’ve been using polyvine and it’s satin and gloss are good but is this better? I don’t like the polyvine dead flat at all it always leaves a cloudy appearance.